Another unionist for politics

Pramod Rae at a NFP meeting at Hotel San Bruno in Nadi in September last year. Picture: Felix Chaudhary

FIJI Bank and Finance Sector Employees Union national secretary Pramod Rae has shown interest in joining a political party for the September election this year.

Mr Rae confirmed this after announcing that he had relinquished his post as the union national secretary.

Mr Rae who has been with the union for 15 years said it was his intention to participate and that he could not yet confirm which party he would join.

"I can't really say now on which party I hope to join as it will be up to the party that will consider me," Mr Rae said.

"This decision was a hard decision to make because I have been in the Finance Sector Employees Union for 15 years and these kinds of decisions are normally forced on trade unionist.

"It seems that the government is bent on undermining workers right and restricting trade union activities, so the views amongst the workers' is, the only way to continue in the restoration of workers rights is to be in the seat of power where the decisions are made which is in parliament.

"So the best place to be in addressing the issue is to be where the decisions are being made which has really prompted my decision to participate in politics," Mr Rae said.

He said the Finance Sector Employees Union members were saddened and also supportive towards the decision he made, as they fully understood the situation they were in.